Qtopia Sydney Releases Impressive Pride Fest Results Following 2025 Celebrations

Qtopia Sydney’s second annual Pride Fest has wrapped with the organisation releasing some impressive figures from this years festivities.

With over 5,500 attendees, a massive 180% growth in programming and participation, and an estimated $1 million in economic benefit, the month-long celebration of LGBTQIA+ culture has seen Sydney thrive.

Qtopia celebrates Pride Fest Achievements

Held throughout June, Pride Fest 2025 has rapidly established itself as a cultural mainstay for Sydney’s winter calendar.

With more than 150 events, including performances, workshops, literary readings, exhibitions, and community-driven initiatives, the festival celebrated the full spectrum of queer identity and creativity while directly contributing to the revitalisation of Oxford Street and the broader Rainbow Precinct.

“Pride Fest is part of a long-term strategy to re-energise our city’s cultural spine. Oxford Street has always been a symbol of Sydney’s Queer community, and with this festival we’re supporting the City of Sydney in driving its economic and social recovery,” said Greg Fisher, CEO of Qtopia Sydney. “We’ve proven that investment in LGBTQIA+ stories, spaces and creative communities delivers real returns for artists, audiences, local business and tourism alike.”

The festival generated over $170,000 in direct revenue, benefiting both Qtopia Sydney and participating artists, alongside $60,000 in in-kind support.

Local businesses including Stonewall, Zushi, Avia, and L’Amuse Bouche joined in the festivities, offering exclusive menus and drink specials that blended celebration with economic collaboration.

Much of the magic happened across Qtopia’s venues, including its headquarters at 301 Forbes Street, the former Darlinghurst Police Station.

Now a vibrant site for queer culture and learning, the heritage-listed space became home to more than half of Sydney’s official Pride Month programming, up from 35% in 2024.

This year’s lineup was a bold and brilliant mix of voices: headliners like Skank Sinatra, A Friend of Dorothy: Anthems of Pride, and The Platonic Human Centipede wowed crowds, while emerging artists, Pasifika creatives, the Deaf community, Queer families, and drag kings carved out space on stage and in workshops.

“This year’s program was a testament to the depth and diversity of Queer creativity. We worked with over 300 artists across 50 productions, from high energy cabaret and comedy to deeply moving storytelling and workshops,” said Carly Fisher, Festival Director.

“Pride Fest is about visibility, connection and giving space to the stories that don’t always get told. The growth in just one year shows there’s a real hunger for this kind of programming and a real value in curating it with intention.”

Pride Fest also leaned into education and legacy-building. Its exclusive, curriculum-linked program Honour the Past, Create The Future drew significant interest from schools, and a special Teacher Information Night featured NSW Department of Education Secretary Murat Dizdar, who expressed strong support for Qtopia’s educational efforts.

Looking ahead, Qtopia Sydney plans to expand Pride Fest across Oxford Street, deepen community partnerships, and pitch a new Winter Fair Day.

The goal? To position Pride Fest as Sydney’s second major LGBTQIA+ cultural event, complementing the iconic Mardi Gras and proudly aligning with International Pride Month.

For now, the message from Pride Fest 2025 is clear: queer-led, community-rooted cultural programming isn’t just vital, it’s transformative.